The last weekend of the Toronto Fringe Festival is upon us!
I have continued to receive messages from various artists about their performances at this year’s festival this year. In order to spread the word and the love, I have made another list of show recommendations, for you.
Hye’s Picks Vol. 1 at Toronto Fringe Festival 2024
- Dirk Darrow Investigations presents Barry Potter and the Magic of Wizardry, created by character comedian and magician Tim Motley.
Barry Potter and the Magic of Wizardry supplies the spells with the world’s only live comedy magic Harry Potter parody show. When most people think of magic, Potter is one of the first things that comes to mind, but there hasn’t been an accessible live magic Fringe show in this theme for adults and families to gasp at… until now.
- Breakaway Entertainment’s newest production Scenes from an Italian Restaurant.
This is a tale of betrayal and redemption, following the journey of a young musician ensnared by the ruthless clutches of fame’s dark underbelly. The show combines jazz dance with vocals and dialogue to create a lasting impression about the artistic world.
- SistaGotJokes Productions presents Sarah St-Fleur: La Québécoise From Toronto.
This storytelling performance delves into Sarah’s journey of forgiveness and navigating complex emotions about her mother. With humor and heartfelt storytelling, Sarah explores how these experiences liberated her from the pressure to conform to stereotypes and embrace her identity as a proud Québécoise with strong Haitian roots.
- Solo Act presents their original sketch show, You Lost Me.
Life’s full of problems. You Lost Me is full of… well, not solutions. But something for sure. Join Solo Act as they take on the issues we all face, from the irritating to the existential, and twist them into a disorienting but deliciously entertaining feast of silliness.
- Nautanki Bazaar presents Aala Tamasha Aala; written by Neha Poduval.
In this Tamasha-style performance, which is a form of folk theatre from the state of Maharahstra in India, Aala Tamasha Aala follows Abhay, once an aspiring Lavni Dancer who finds himself a world away in Toronto. Reminiscing about his lost dreams, Abhay grapples with the mundanity of his dead-end job, while yearning for the vibrant rhythm of his homeland and losing more than what he bargained for.
- Limbus Work Theatre Collective presents UnMute.
This is an anthology play is a series of reflections on the rampant anti-Asian sentiments during the COVID pandemic. It sheds a light on the complexities and nuances of facing racial injustice and reductive stereotypes through creative movement and collective storytelling.
- Jem Rolls presents The Kid Was a Spy.
This show takes the audience from the murky world of spies to the idyll of young love. From teenage friendship to stark treason. From big decision to deep consequence. From high idealism to extreme cynicism. And from pure science to Hiroshima and the electric chair.
- a little body productions presents Bus Stop, written & directed by Helen Ho.
Best friends and former child stars of a kid detective TV show are on a bus trip headed home from New York City. When one of their fellow passengers is murdered, the two friends must solve the case!
- Fresh Palette Theatre Company presents Painting By Numbers, written by Judah Parris.
The show follows the journey of Vincent Van Gogh’s lost masterpiece, stolen, under the cover of darkness by Stevie Fitzgerald, a humble cleaner at an art depot. As Stevie brings the painting home he is confronted by his no-nonsense sister, Leila, who he entangles As events unravel and true motives are revealed, a question emerges “ Is this painting the true masterpiece that everyone thinks it is?”
- Dramatic Jukebox presents Toba Tek Singh, written by Saadat Hasan Manto.
Set in a mental asylum following the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, the show explores the emotional turmoil of its inhabitants as they struggle with displacement and a fractured sense of identity. This adaptation of Saadat Hasan Manto’s work promises a unique blend of political satire and poignant drama.
The Toronto Fringe Festival continues until July 14, 2024. For full festival programming and tickets, please visit torontofringe.com.
